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Cefn Druids Football Club Grassroots Partnership

Cefn Druids Football Club, being the oldest club in Wales, has always had a proud tradition of developing the game in North East Wales and in particular across the Wrexham region. However it is the new generation of players, coaches and community officers who are making a key difference to the levels of participation in the region and it is something for the club to be proud of.

Cefn Druids FC in recent months has worked tirelessly in the local community to develop links and opportunities with key community groups, including a positive and successful community engagement programme with North Wales Police helping to tackle anti-social behaviour during the summer, and now Christmas weekend nights in some identified hot-spots within the region - something that has helped engage with many new local participants.

As the football club continues to develop and progress both on and off the pitch, relationships are also key on the agenda for the football club, which is based within the wonderful facility 'The Rock' at Cefn, Wrexham. Relationships with those in the local community can help many more young players within Wrexham to fall in love with our national game.

Academy Director, Andrew Roberts notes "As a football club we have always been keen to engage with our local community and the work and support from the Welsh Football Trust, and Mark Roberts in particular, has helped to take the football club forward within our community and provide us with a strong footing that in previous years was not evident"

Johnstown Youth FC a local Bronze accredited Welsh Football Trust Grassroots club has taken advantage of Cefn Druids' productive nature and utilised a recent home fixture at 'The Rock' as a platform to launch the club's newly formed grassroots partnership, a similar partnership to that of which has recently taken place between GAP Connah's Quay Nomads and Deeside Dragons. Welsh Football Trust Club Development officer Mark Roberts explains:

"Over the previous 6 months, the work and dedication to support the growth of our grassroots programmes via our leading local senior clubs has been wonderful to be a part of. Their expertise is needed to help support the growth of our local game and a partnership such as this can now provide some focus and key exit routes for the work our community programmes are delivering."

"Cefn Druids Football Club in particular has been fully supportive of such links and it is great to have the clubs Chairman, Executives, Academy and Community Staff present and more importantly involved within the planning and development of the club's community delivery."

The partnership between Cefn Druids and Johnstown is one which is set to grow in the coming months and seasons ahead, but with structured mentoring, coaching sessions and community opportunities already in practice, it is one that both clubs are sure to benefit from for years to come and more importantly something that will allow both clubs to continue to grow, on and off the pitch.

"The planning and support the two clubs have offered one another over the previous 6 months during the consultation period was a joy to see and something that has provided a great platform for development within both clubs. My thanks has to go to all on the Executive Committee and Chairman of both Cefn Druids Football Club and Johnstown Youth Football Club for their support and ideas prior to today and the formal partnership between both clubs. I am sure that this is the start of an extremely productive partnership" Mark Roberts, North East Wales Club Development Officer